Doctor Who might be tired and self-important, but Capaldi ...



Pop needs to get political againPossible answers include:Summarise the main points of the article in your own words. (3-5 bullet points or sentences)Left-wing comedians are criticising right wing political parties, like UKIP.There is a lack of political opinion in the world of pop music.In the past there have been many political musicians and bands, like Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke.Political music does not have to be clichéd and angry to make a difference.The writer’s own band did not hesitate to comment on issues, such as nuclear power.The writer admires political musicians and feels there needs to be far more in mainstream pop in order to engage the public is political discussion and protest.State the purpose of the article.To persuade the reader that political pop music is important/that more musicians need to engage in political subjects with their music ORTo explore an issue, such as the lack of political discussion in contemporary pop music, as opposed to past generations.Explain your choice of purpose.To persuade – “We weren’t what you would call a political band, but at the same time we didn’t shy away from talking about it.” Using personal experience to highlight that it is possible for bands to be involved in politics, without becoming defined wholly by that.To persuade – “I’m proud to be working with them and others, including Steve Mason – a rare political, musical beast – on a protest album that tries to react to the populist media bombarding us with anti-Islam, anti-immigration, anti-poor people sentiments, seeming to blame anyone but those who hold real power.” Justifying his stance and explaining why he feels political music is important at this time. Repetition of “anti” suggests negative connotations, and suggests that the government is creating division.To explore an issue – “In times gone by, there were few things cooler than rallying against the establishment, from Marvin Gaye during the civil rights movement to John Lennon with his anti-war message.” Provides previous examples of political musicians and suggests a distance between their generation and ours; that political commentary in music is a thing of the past.To explore an issue – “Steve Mason – a rare political, musical beast” The word choice of ‘rare’ suggests that the way Mason uses music to make political comments is not common at all; imagery of ‘beast’ also suggests that this is what makes him powerful and strong.Identify the tone of the article.CriticalHopefulJustify your choice of tone with evidence from the text.Critical – “As long as British musicians lack political motivation, surely we will get the governments we deserve.” Emphasises that pop music has a responsibility and is able to help influence people; in becoming political, music can engage the public to encourage positive change. However, he is disappointed with the ‘lack’ of musicians who take this stance.Hopeful – “We need to start hear more of these voices of political opposition in popular music itself. Young people especially need some good to believe in.” Suggests he wants to make a change; that providing something ‘good’ is important, particularly for young people.Identify 3 techniques which have been employed by the writer. Analyse each technique and explain its purpose or effect. ANSWERS COULD INCLUDE:“rare political, musical beast” – metaphor; just as a beast is powerful and strong, so too is Steve Mason commanding as he uses music to explore political issues.“I’m in awe of young wordsmiths such as Hollie McNish and Stephen Morrison-Burke” – word choice; awe has positive connotations, suggests admiration. Emphasises how much he respects musicians who make a point of using their music to say something about politics and important issues.Doctor Who might be tired and self-important, but Capaldi's Doctor is intriguingPossible answers include:Summarise the main points of the article in your own words. (3-5 bullet points or sentences)Doctor Who has become self important, preaching about issues like homosexuality, which are generally widely accepted in the UK today.Some of the content of the episodes is becoming repetitive, and therefore lapsing into cliché.However, Peter Capaldi’s performance so far is fresh, exciting and unpredictable, which could encourage the change the programme needs.The closing minutes of the first episode were very intriguing, suggesting the series could be different.They must take care not to rely too much on ‘old favourites’ like the Daleks, but instead keep the show fresh if it is to survive.State the purpose of the article. To persuade – convincing the reader that Doctor Who needs to change, but has potential to be great again.Explain your choice of purpose To persuade – “…I’ve stuck with the show and I want it to succeed. I also want it to be daring in more than just a visual or political way. I want it to be sophisticated, fun science fiction that opens kids’ minds to intellectual possibility.” Makes viewpoint clear, with repetition of ‘I want’ underlining that the writer believes change is essential to the show’s survival.To persuade - “But then we’d get yanked back to the bad old days of the Matt Smith era. Gags about Sontarans not being able to tell humans apart. Jolly violins while the Doctor steals a horse. A dinosaur clomping around London that – you guessed it –?can feel pain, man.” Repeated short sentences emphasises the writer’s lack of patience with the show’s tendency to repeat jokes and storylines.Identify the tone of the article.CriticalSarcasticHopefulJustify your choice of tone with evidence from the text.Critical – “Mawkish, unconvincing sentiment.” Short sentence shows how strongly the writer feels, and the critical word choice in “mawkish” and “unconvincing” have negative connotations, suggesting how unimpressed they have been with the programme.Sarcastic – “A dinosaur clomping around London that – you guessed it –?can feel pain, man.” The use of italics shows that the writer feels Doctor Who has over-emphasised the emotional centre of its show for so long – to an extent that we can easily guess such a reveal in the episode as the parenthesis emphasises.Hopeful – “I want it to succeed. I also want it to be daring in more than just a visual or political way. I want it to be sophisticated, fun science fiction that opens kids’ minds to intellectual possibility.” Repetition suggests not only the writer’s desire for the show, but also their hopes for the future. They want it to succeed, and the repetition emphasises that. Identify 3 techniques which have been employed by the writer. Analyse each technique and explain its purpose or effect. [Basic techniques to comment on include: word-choice, imagery and sentence structure.] ANSWERS COULD INCLUDE:“I’m intrigued.” The short sentence tells us the writer is emphatic in their continuing interest in the show. It also suggests that they are surprised by their interest, as it comes despite the criticisms they have already levelled at the show.“It struggles to break free from the template it created for itself when it regenerated on to our screens a decade ago.” Word choice of ‘template’ emphasises the pattern the show has found itself caught in, repeating structure and plotlines.Why do women opt for cosmetic surgery when there is such beauty in age?Summarise the main points of the article in your own words. (3-5 bullet points or sentences)On holiday in the South of France, the writer saw an older woman who had had so much cosmetic surgery that it made her look less-than-human, despite her attempts to be young and beautiful again.He wanted to ask her why she had done this to herself but did not.He wondered if she had done it for herself or for her husband, who did not seem interested in her.He believes that too much emphasis is placed on the beauty of youth, whereas there is beauty found in all ages of life.Too many women have fallen foul of this temptation, despite the awful results it can create.What it tells us is that the people who choose to go down this path are incredibly unhappy and lacking in confidence.Ultimately the writer is saddened by this constant strive for youth, which renders so many people unhappy and unsatisfied.State the purpose of the article.To explore an issue,?such as the?overemphasis (particularly for women) on looking young, perhaps to maintain male attention, and the endless cosmetic surgery this quest leads to.Explain your choice of purpose.To explore an issue –?“It’s hard to believe that so many years after?The Female Eunuch?there remain women willing to mutilate themselves to stay in favour with their men.” By comparing the roots of 1970s feminism (The Female Eunuch?is a famous book by feminist writer Germain Greer) with the idea that women are still controlled so much by the opinions of men, the writer emphasises how much pressure women are under regarding their looks – as well as how little progress has been made in terms of equality. The word choice of ‘mutilate’ suggest something that has been disfigured or tortured, emphasising that the plastic surgery is a painful and cruel process.To explore an issue –?“But it is a cruel fallacy to suppose that the beauty of a girl must surpass the beauty of a woman…” The repetition of ‘beauty’ here is used to compare the idea of youth somehow being the most attractive stage – the writer’s word choice of ‘cruel fallacy’ suggests that this is a painful lie, and is one that is encouraging this everlasting quest for youth through cosmetic surgery.Identify the tone?of the article.Sombre/disheartenedJustify your choice of tone with evidence from the text.Sombre/disheartened – “It saddens me, that’s all.” The writer’s use of a short sentence emphasises the sadness he feels at the number of women driven to surgery to desperately maintain their youth. As well as this, the language is very simple – again, something to emphasise that he feels disheartened by the unhappiness this woman – and many?others like her – clearly experience.Sombre/disheartened – …”something so heartbreaking about the way she tossed her hair, a girl again…” The word choice of ‘heartbreaking’ is used here to show how upsetting the writer found this woman – the way she wants to be “a girl again” but has failed because it is something that cannot be recaptured. The emotive language here highlights the impossibility of what the woman is trying to do through her surgery, as well as captures how sad the writer feels at her fruitless struggles.Identify 3 techniques?which have been employed by the writer. Analyse each technique and explain its purpose or effect.?ANSWERS COULD INCLUDE:“like an alligator” – Simile. Just as an alligator is a fierce-looking animal, so too has the woman transformed into something animal-like through her cosmetic surgery, leaving her looking frightening and somehow less than human.“Excusez-moi, madame, but in the name of God, why?” – Direct speech. Although the writer never actually asks the woman, the desperation of “in the name of God, why?” suggests that he cannot understand why she would do this to herself. In asking the woman, he is also using the question to encourage the reader to consider why a woman would transform herself through cosmetic surgery.“Would you not have thought, reader, that sufficient women have traded their dignity and grace for this furious flower of plastic evil that surgeons call a mouth for others to know now what to expect?” Use of rhetorical question invites the reader to consider how badly cosmetic surgery can turn out, as well as why women who must be aware of the consequences still choose to go down that path. The us of ‘plastic evil’ also suggests something false and terrible, emphasising how negatively the writer feels about cosmetic surgery.Justin Bieber: Teen pop idols never die. They're gradually unfollowedSummarise the main points of the article in your own words. (3-5 bullet points or sentences)The writer believes Justin Bieber is growing older very quickly, and is surprised at the rate this is happening.His fans are too caught up in their enthusiasm for him to see and understand the difficulties he is experiencing with his level of fame.His mother is also causing controversy with a short film aimed at discouraging abortion, an already divisive topic.Bieber is already acting out, vandalising property, taking drugs and behaving inappropriately.Bieber will not be able to fade into obscurity like previous generations – his fans will have to make an effort not to remain interested and stop following his career and personal life on social media.In years to come this could lead to him acting badly and bitterly towards former fans, leading to an emotional crisis which could inspire truly great music – however, as his popularity will have waned, no one will witness this.2. State the purpose of the article.To entertain3. Explain your choice of purpose.“He’s now 36 years old and is played by a gangling miscast Jim Carrey action figure.” The use of hyperbole in exaggerating Bieber’s age emphasises the writer’s humour, as does his comparison with much older comic actor Jim Carrey. The image is fairly ridiculous, highlighting the lighthearted and humorous nature of the article.“His follower count drops below zero, which ought to be impossible, but reality makes an exception.” Again, Brooker uses hyperbole to emphasise Bieber’s unpopularity in a fictional future. The exaggeration provides humour and emphasises the impact his behaviour may have at some point.4. Identify the tone of the article.Humourous/sarcastic/lighthearted5. Justify your choice of tone with evidence from the text.“…when up pops an update from 49-year-old Bieber…” A recurring joke in the article is Bieber’s alleged age. At the beginning of the piece, Brooker says he appears to be about ’36’ despite being in his early 20s, and now states that he will be 49 in the year 2021, when he will only be in his 30s. This exaggeration and use of hyperbole highlights the light-hearted nature of the article, making a thematic joke of Bieber’s supposedly quick ageing.“teenywink” – the word choice here is fairly ridiculous, with connotations of Bieber being something child-like and silly. This emphasises the overall lack of admiration the writer has for Bieber, as well as setting a humourous tone for the rest of the piece.6. Identify 3 techniques which have been employed by the writer. Analyse each technique and explain its purpose or effect. ANSWERS COULD INCLUDE:“a child-size baseball cap optimistically Pritt-sticked to his hairdo.” The image here is quite ridiculous. Just as gluing a child’s hat to your head would leave you looking silly, so too does Brooker suggest that Bieber will look stupid in his quest to remain looking youthful as he ages.“Zzzzwip” – the use of onomatopoeia here provides a sound to signal a fan unfollowing Bieber in social media. It is a sharp, harsh sound, emphasising the upset that this action will cause Bieber as his popularity dwindles, as well as the emphatic decision the one-time fan makes in moving on.Russell Brand: Robin Williams’ divine madness will no longer disrupt the sadness of the worldSummarise the main points of the article in your own words. (3-5 bullet points or sentences)Robin Williams was a man whose humour seem to come very naturally to him, although it had its darker elements.As well as being very vivacious, however, he also fought depression and substance abuse throughout his life, which he often spoke about.His suicide has shown that depression and?the risks of taking your own life are not only for young men, but for older ones too – in fact, the number of those doing so later in life is rising.The writer wonders if many people use drugs because they cannot deal with the pain and hardship day-to-day life can bring.Although some people felt Williams’ films could be clichéd, they clearly helped him express a longing to be young and carefree again.The writer feels it is very sad that someone like Williams – who could have asked many people of help given how popular and loved he was – did not feel he could be saved from his depression.State the purpose of the article.To explore an issue, such as even the funniest, seemingly-most-confident and popular of us can struggle with demons like depression and addiction.Explain your choice of purpose.?“A refinement of an energy that could turn as easily to destruction as creativity.” The contrast in the word choice of ‘destruction’ and ‘creativity’ emphasise the struggle Williams faced in his life. Whilst ‘creativity’ suggests something that is made, built, something positive, ‘destruction’ has connotations of violence and finality. The writer uses this contrast to highlight the different directions Williams was pulled in as he battled with depression, despite his great mind for comedy and entertainment.“Today Robin Williams is part of the sad narrative that we used to turn to him to disrupt.” The use of irony here – that people watched Robin Williams ?because he would, as a comic, cheer them up, although it was his own depression which ultimately ended his life – emphasises the difficulty that even those who appear energetic and happy can experience, in that something like depression does not pay heed to.Identify the tone of the article.Sombre/reflectiveJustify your choice of tone with evidence from the text.“Poor Robin Williams…” – The use of emotive language in ‘poor’ emphasises the writers sympathy for him, and shows how moved he is about his death.“I might be nice to people, mindful today how fragile we all are” – Here the writer ends the passage with a clear reference to the reflection he wishes to indulge in. He tells us that he wants to openly acknowledge that we can all play a part in influencing others, wishing to be ‘nice’ to people, something positive and warm, because we are ‘fragile’ = – emphasising that it is not just Robin Williams who can suffer from mental illness or feel vulnerable.Identify 3 techniques which have been employed by the writer.?Analyse each technique and explain its purpose or effect.?[Basic techniques to comment on include: word-choice, imagery and sentence structure.]“…how fragile we all are, how delicate we are…” Use of we immediately involves the reader. The article stops being just about Robin Williams, but makes clear reference to the idea that mental illness such as depression affects a great number of people. By suggesting the reader is a part of that fragility, Brand encourages to consider our own vulnerability as well as that of those around us.“Is that what drug use is?” The use of rhetorical questions encourages the reader to consider the reasons people use drugs, beyond obvious or stereotypical reasons we may already be aware of. In considering this, he clearly attempts to emphasise that mental illness such as depression, and drug addiction can be often closely linked.45 years after the Equal Pay Act, there’s still a long way to goSummarise the main points of the article in your own words. (3-5 bullet points or sentences)The writer recalls when the first Equal Pay Act was passed, and made a?complaint at the time when she was paid less for work that boys she knew – however, she was described as greedy for complaining about her lack of wages.Equal pay is still a he problem, with many women being paid far less than men for doing the same job.The writer believes more equal pay legislation is needed, because the current system has many complicated loopholes which employers often use to exploit women.The writer also believes that it needs to be made easier for women to raise cases of discrimination, creating a system where services work together to end inequality in the workplace.She also believes the system needs to be made far simpler to encourage people to come forward with their cases.However, she also feels that more must be done to support women who wish to have a family and still work, as this is one of the lead causes of unequal pay.State the purpose of the article.To persuade the reader that more must be done to ensure women receive equal pay int he workplace.Explain your choice of purpose.“We should encourage organisations to change themselves…” The use of ‘we’ is a classic persuasive technique, and invites the reader to feel as if they are part of the writer’s goals, as well as suggesting it is something we should all be concerned with.?“Did you know that if a man takes your job and is paid more than you, you can’t rely on that as evidence of discrimination?” The use of questioning, which is repeated throughout the article, aims to?encourage the reader to consider?how much they know about the process of ensuring equal pay. By asking the reader to answer?these questions, she aims to highlight our own lack of knowledge, emphasising that the system is too complex with too many loopholes.Identify the tone?of the article.CriticalHopefulJustify your choice of tone with evidence from the text.Critical – “To misquote Annie Lennox and Aretha Franklin: “We’re coming out of the kitchen, but we just haven’t got very far as yet.” By deliberately misquoting a song which many people see as a feminist anthem, the writer aims to emphasise the lack of progress that has been made for women’s equality. She takes a clichéd notion, that of the woman as working in the kitchen and home, and suggests that even an image as old fashioned is not far from the current state of affairs. This highlights how critical she is of the current state of Equal Pay, and becomes a strong argument for her case that new laws are needed.Hopeful – The word choice of “kickstart” suggests something energetic and filled with potential. The writer uses this to show that while she is highly critical of the current Equal Pay Act, she believes a new one could make real impact, highlighting her own hopes for change.Identify 3 techniques which have been employed by the writer.?Analyse each technique and explain its purpose or effect.?[Basic techniques to comment on include: word-choice, imagery and sentence structure.]“we need to sweep these away” – Just as one would sweep away dirt and rubbish, so too does the writer feel that the current complications in the Equal Pay Act are something we have no longer use for, and should be discarded like rubbish.The repetition of “we should” throughout the article not only involves the reader in the writer’s quest, but also emphasises that these actions need to take place – the word ‘should’ suggests purpose, and its repetition emphasises how determined the writer is to see a new Equal Pay Act created.“This choirgirl is now middle aged…” – this links back to the writer’s experiences as a choirgirl which she uses to open the passage, where she was dismissed for requesting equal pay. The contrast between ‘choirgirl’ and ‘middle aged’ emphasises how much time has passed, which highlights the lack of progress made in obtaining equal pay for women even further.Stop sneering at working-class youth at play in Magaluf and IbizaSummarise the main points of the article in your own words. (3-5 bullet points or sentences)State the purpose of the article.Explain your choice of purpose Identify the tone of the article.Justify your choice of tone with evidence from the text.Identify 3 techniques which have been employed by the writer. Analyse each technique and explain its purpose or effect. [Basic techniques to comment on include: word-choice, imagery and sentence structure.] ANSWERS COULD INCLUDE: ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download